I will try to explain with some pictures as is the process I follow to paint my samurai army(and most of my miniatures). I know that probably not the best method, but it´s the way I paint and I am accustomed to it... :-)

In case of 28mm miniatures for Impetus, I use to paint a unit at a time (5-8 figures) although it is often easier to paint figures of the same kind together and make small groups (ashigaru, samurai, noboris ...).

Generally, it takes me two or three evenings to paint the figures needed for a unit. In this post I will explain the first step, which usually take the first afternoon of painting, and consist on painting the figure with base colors and a wash.

On white I paint the belt, the fabric of the helmet and some straps. For the skin I give him a base of Kakhi (I will highlight it later, is not going to be so dark). With a few more details, like the blade of the spear in Basalt Gray or sashimono masts in Dark Sand, the figure is nearly complete and only need washing.